This research proposes to test the efficacy of orally administered butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in inhibiting herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections in rabbit eyes. BHT is a potent broad spectrum virucidal agent that disrupts membrane function in enveloped viruses including HSV. Since BHT is a common food additive and "generally regarded as safe" by the FDA it warrants testing in animals for its anti-viral effects. Experiments involving other animals have shown BHT to be relatively harmless at the levels required for its anti-viral activity. A preliminary experiment in our laboratory has shown orally administered BHT to be effective in inhibiting, and in some cases preventing, primary HSV infections of rabbit corneas. We propose to establish the optimum BHT dosage within the limits of animal tolerance for this inhibition and the optimal timing of BHT administration. In addition, we plan to test the effects of BHT on the establishment of latency by HSV and on the recurrance of viral expression in previously infected animals. Rabbit eyes will be exposed by contact to sufficient (approximately one million pfu's) amounts of HSV to cause primary lesions. Control animals will be fed normal chow; experimental animals will be fed varying amounts of BHT in the chow. The amount of infection will be determined by visual analyses of the lesions and by cell culturing of a sample of fluid from the eye. Determinations of the severity, duration, and extent of the lesion will serve as a measure of the degree of infection. Photographic records will serve as a permanent file of the work. Our goal is to determine by this animal model the potential for using BHT to treat herpetic infections in humans.